Fire-escape



(No Model.)

H; LEWIS.

FIRE ESCAPE.

Patented Mar. 9, 1886.

N. PETERS, PhatmLflhcgnpher, Winhingtun. D C.

' NITE STATES PATENT Grrrcn.

HENRY LEWIS, OF NEW LIBERTY, ILLINOIS.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 337,594, dated March 9, 1886.

Application filed June 4, 1885. Serial No. 167,681.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY LEWIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Liberty, in the county of Pope and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Fire-Escape Chair, of which the following is a specification.

The figure represents a perspective View.

My invention relates to an improved fireescape chair constructed so that it is service able as a common chair and also asa fire-escape. It is as any common chair, with the additions of being boxed or inclosed eight inches under the seat, and within this box and under the seat are arranged the working parts of the fireescape, and constructed as follows:

There are two rollers, G G, running from the frontof the chair to the back, to the right and left of the center of and directly under the seat, which rollers are fastened by means of journals in the front and back of the boxframe, and geared together at the front by means of cog-wheels M M. A screw, L, working at right angles with the above-described rollers and geared in the cogs of the right roller and worked on the outside of the frame by means of a. crank on the outer journal of the screw, serves the purpose of revolving the rollers and winding on them the four wires K K, which are on the four ends of the rollers. These wires are fastened to the rollers one-fourth the distance from the end, and wound on the rollers to a length sufficient to reach the distance required when unwound, which may be done by means of reversing the motion of the cranked screw. Each wire passes off the roller through an eye or loop, S, thence through the seat of the chair. The front wires pass along the arms of the chair and extend up the back, and the wire on the back end of the roller passes through loop,

(No model.)

of them, so ifraised too high or pressedtoo low will check the speed of descent. The brake is connected at the top to a bar or lever, I,which isfastened at one end to the bottom of the chair, and the other end formed or connected with an upright arm, J, which can be pressed down or pulled up by the hand,governing the speed of descent. A spring, B, may be placed on the arm J and bear between the top of the chair-seat and the hand-hold of said arm, so as to give the arm an upward tension, which will normally apply the brake,so as to prevent too rapid descent of the device, but which can be readily overcome by downward pressure on the arm J. At the bottom of the back posts are arranged fenders O, standing out, when prepared to descend, at an angle of forty-five degrees, so as to prevent the chair or support from catching on projecting substances as the chair descends, and the protector of the person is a bar, P, which is on the inside of the arm if drawn forward, and coming to the front of the arm fits in a socket, and passes across the front or top of the person and fastens on the opposite arm. This bar is supported on the inner side of one arm by loops or keepers, the inner one of which has an open upper end, to permit the bar to be adjusted across the front of the chair to retain a person therein.

The open loop may have a spring-catch where desired to retain the bar P in the inner loop; also a hinge-back and extension-arm, allowing the extension or flattening out of the chair for invalid-chair.

claim- 1. The combination, with a fire-escape support having a seat for the person and side guards or arms, of a loop or keeper, and a hook secured to the inner side of one of said arms, and the bar supported by said loop and hook and adjustable across the front of the seat, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, in a fire-escape, of a support, rollers journaled to said support, gears on said rollers and meshed together, a worm-shaft meshed with one of said gears,and cords connected with said rollers, substantially asset forth.

3. The combination of the support, the rollers journaled thereto, and a brake arranged to operate between said rollers, and having its opposite sides arranged to engage the adjacent roller and formed in diverging lines, substantially as set forth.

4. Afire-eseape comprisingasupport, apair of rollersjournaled to said support, and cords secured one to each of said rollers, and ex tended thence up along the opposite sides of the support, substantially asset forth,

5. The combination. in a fire-escape, of a support. two parallel rollers, cords connected with said rollers, and a brake passed between 7 said rollers, and having an X- shaped shoe forming bearing-surfaces diverging outwardly from the vsaid rollers on opposite sides there of, substantially as set forth.

6. The improved fire escape herein described, consisting of the chair, the guard P,

adjustable, whereby it may be set across the front of and retain a person within the chair, a pair of iutergeared rollers journaled to the chair, cords connected with said rollers and extended through guides S S and D D, a wormshalt vgeared with one of the rollers, and an X-shaped brake located and operating between said rollers, all arranged and operating substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of the support, the rollers journaled thereto, abrake arranged to operate between and engage said rollers, alever supporting said brake, and a spring, substam tially as set forth.

HENRY LEWIS. Witnesses:

J AS. R. VEAVER, B. S. SIDENER. 

